Ambassador calls coup leader 'terrorist'

SUVA, Fiji {AP} The U.S. ambassador to Fiji branded coup leader George Speight a terrorist, saying Friday that he should be prosecuted for taking the nation's government hostage.

It appears unlikely Speight will face trial for seizing Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry and 30 other officials on May 19. The country's new military leaders have removed Chaudhry from office and promised Speight and his supporters amnesty if they release the captives.

Ambassador Osman Siddique called that a bad idea.

"I don't think he should get immunity. He is a common criminal, a terrorist and justice should be served to him," Siddique told journalists.

As the crisis entered its fourth week, any resolution seems a long way off.

Two influential delegations one tribal chiefs from Fiji's economically powerful western provinces, the other from the Methodists, the biggest church in Fiji asked Speight to free the hostages Friday. He refused.

The Methodists came to "bring us food but they were not here to say we are in this camp or that camp," Speight said.

The tribal chiefs, all dressed in traditional "sulu" skirts, spent about two hours at Speight's camp in the parliamentary complex, praying and drinking the mild sedative kava before talks got underway, but no progress in ending the standoff was reported.

"It was a good meeting, a great meeting," Speight said later without elaboration.

After seeing Speight, the chiefs went to visit Fiji's military rulers, who seized power after Speight had thrown Fiji into crisis.

In a statement released after the meeting, the military said the chiefs had presented a proposed solution to the crisis and the army had noted it. "No decision was reached, nor was one expected," the military said.

Speight and his rebels launched their coup to win more power for Fiji's indigenous majority.

Chaudhry was the first person to hold that post from the 44 percent of Fiji's population who are ethnic Indian. The rebels want Fijians of Indian descent barred from leadership of this nation 2,250 miles northeast of Sydney, Australia.

Fijian nationalists have been angered by Chaudhry's attempts to persuade Fijian landowners to renew expiring leases on farmland held by thousands of ethnic Indian tenants.

Talks between Speight and the army broke down a week ago after military leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama said he would entertain no more of Speight's demands. Bainimarama had already agreed to scrap the 1997 constitution blamed by Fijians for giving too much power to Indians and to oust Fiji's president.